Organized Crime in the Windy City
Alberto A. Gomez
Known for its long period of criminal activity and rise to becoming one of the strongest crime entities, the Chicago Outfits are one of the most notorious and infamous organized groups that had ever hit Chicago. From the time it rose from Mike McDonald to the fall of Al Capone’s Chicago, this group has successfully continued to grow and rein the streets of Chicago. The structure of this group and criminal activities have made a dent if America’s society.
According to Michael Maltz, “An organized crime is a crime in which there is more than one offender, and the offenders are and intend to remain associated with one another for the purpose of committing crimes.” (Abadinsky 2) and according to Donald Cressey it is “any crime committed by a person occupying, in an established division of labor…..includes at least one position for a corrupter, one position for a corruptee, and one position for an enforcer.” (Abadinsky 2) and even the Federal organized Crime Control Act of 1970 attempts to define what is organized crime is. They broke it down into eight attributes that include and not limited to the following: no political goals, hierarchical, limited/exclusive membership, unique subculture, perpetuates itself, use of violence, monopolistic and governed by explicit rules and regulations. However the term is defined, all three prove that it is a group of more than one individual working together to commit a series of crime that is done in a matter that is planned out.
